


Interlude

by nomadwanderer



Series: Ember Days [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha Castiel/Omega Dean Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - BDSM, Artist Dean Winchester, Bottom Dean Winchester, Caretaker Castiel (Supernatural), Caretaking, Caring Castiel (Supernatural), Doctor Castiel (Supernatural), Fucking Machines, Hardcore caretaking, Hurt Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Medical Conditions, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Kink, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Dean, Protective Castiel (Supernatural), Recovery, Restraints, Sick Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:27:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29429538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nomadwanderer/pseuds/nomadwanderer
Summary: .The problem was that Dean’s heats were excruciating.Both their duration and their intensity were far, far above the normal range and while they were thankfully regular, they still required weeks of preparation, complex medical equipment and a specialised heat room.orCastiel and Dean endure an incredibly difficult heat cycle together. Gabriel helps out with the medical/caretaking aspects.This fic is part of a series, but you can read it standalone.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Ember Days [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161788
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Key background information:  
> Dr. Castiel Novak is Dean's alpha and guardian. Dean is an omega with a traumatic background and history of 'suppressant abuse' which has messed up his body chemistry in lasting, painful ways. Gabriel is a nurse and trusted friend who has agreed to help Castiel guide Dean through this difficult process. 
> 
> This whole series is fairly 'caretaking', 'Medical Kink' and 'Hurt/Comfort' heavy. Please mind the tags ;) 
> 
> I'd love to hear what you think! Comments give me life!

**Interlude: Part 1**

Gabriel leant over to check the contents of his bag yet again, trying to calm the nervous energy that coursed through him.

Of course, Castiel would have all the necessary supplies but his own need to be thorough won out every time. He’d visited the hospital supplies room earlier and stocked up on all the extra little things they might need, including a few he hoped they won’t ever have to use.

It’s the first time they have asked him to be the Assist with a Heat and he couldn’t help but feel the heavy weight of that trust. Heats are so hard for Dean and it’s the first time that Sam hasn’t been able to make it, he’s stuck in the middle of a significant trial and couldn’t abandon his client, but he felt terrible. In his typical foolhardy style Dean had assured him that the progress he’d made with Gabe recently would be sufficient to get him through it without him, promised Sam that he would be fine.

Gabe hoped desperately that it was true.

The memory of Dean pale and unconscious in the hospital haunts him still, the Heat having ravaged his body to the point that inducing a coma was better than finishing the heat. He remembers an awful day, months earlier than even that, Dean coming hard off the suppressants and Sam so desperately afraid. Having to make the agonizing decision to report them to the OSP (Omega Support Program).

Reading that heartbreaking file on a man let down time and time again by those meant to love and protect him. Watching him slowly recover from years of abuse. Gabe had promised himself; this one would get the happy ending, this one would be okay. He’d made the call. 

But it was all still a painful work in progress.

He zipped the bag shut and shouldered it. No point worrying about the possibilities, better to deal with issues as they arise. Better to not think of everything that could go horribly wrong.

Castiel had just finished packing up his own supplies as Gabe entered his office.

“You ready to head home?” Gabe asked, the tension obvious around Cas’s eyes. It was clear this was as hard on him as it was on Dean.

“Yes, mostly," Castiel looked down at his phone, his hands trembling slightly, "Dean rang a few minutes ago, he’s having a bath and trying to keep calm. He thinks he’s about six hours in so we have a while yet before we need to get started.”

“Good, that gives us time to get some food in him and hopefully a little sleep while I ready the heat room.”

They had already gone over the plan for the next few days in minute detail, had it all figured out. Cas had provided copious notes documenting Dean’s previous heats and a copy of his medical file. They had a strict contingency plans for every possibility. 

It’ll be fine Gabe told himself, he could always call the OSP if he needed too. But that didn’t stop the gnawing worry settling deep in his chest.

So much could easily go wrong! 

The problem was that Dean’s heats were excruciating. Both their duration and their intensity were far, far above the normal range and while they were thankfully regular, Cas was simply unable to do it alone.

One person just wasn’t capable of taking care of Dean throughout all of the estrus period. Luckily Gabe was a beta, perfect to assist as he was unaffected by their pheromones. He could keep a clear head and a steady hand when needed. His training as an Omega Nurse and history with Dean was also an essential part in making this a success. Dean needed to trust him intimately or it just wasn’t going to work. 

Dean was out of the bath by the time they arrived at the house. His skin still pink from the water, hair still wet, and he looked jittery, like electricity was pulsing under his skin. Gabe supposed that in a way it was.

He shifted from foot to foot, nervous need pouring off him in waves, he wasn’t too far gone yet but it was building. He looked terrified and desperate all at once.

Castiel pulled him into his arms, easing their bodies together and letting Dean soak up his scent and presence. Calming him as best he could.

“Breathe, Sweetheart. We can’t do anything now, not yet. Soon, I promise,”

Dean panted a little, refusing to give into it just yet, putting off the inevitable for as long as possible.

“Have you eaten?” Cas asked, solemn.

“A little,” Dean sounded hesitant, ashamed, “I tried.”

“It’s ok.I know you did, but I want you try again though, you’ll need all the energy you can get,”

Dean nods, familiar with the routine. He pulled away, turned instead to Gabriel.

“Thank you for agreeing to help me.” Dean sounded shy but determined.

“Of course,” Gabe smiled warmly, “Always. You know that.”

“And from me too,” Cas added, “We’re both so grateful. We really didn’t want to have to do this at the centre.”

Gabe nodded, meeting Cas’s gaze squarely, he knew how hard the request really was on both of them, how intimate this would be.

“Can you stomach a proper meal?” Gabe asked Dean, hoping to turn the conversation away to more comfortable topics.

“Probably not,” Dean grimaced, knowing what that meant.

“How about a shake?”

Dean looked relieved, “I think so,”

“Chocolate?”

“Vanilla,”

“Coming right up.”

He retrieved two of the cans from the fridge and poured the first into a glass before handing it over. Cas guided Dean over to the sofa and pulled him down, bodies close. He took the glass from Dean’s shaking hand and held it up to his mouth for him, tipping it gently but insistently against his lips.

“Slow sips,” Cas reminded him, “Till it’s done.”

Gabe placed the second can on the table, Cas would make sure Dean drank all of it.

“I’m going to get the Heat room set up.”

“Thank you,” Cas sounded grateful, but distant, focussing all his attention on the man in his arms.

Gabe left them to the last bit of peace they would have for a while, the calm before the storm, to carry his and Cas’s equipment bags into the Heat room. He’d already set his own belongings up in the his bedroom (the spare that he habitually used when he was needed to stay over) so he only had these last few things to bring into the house.

It’s a large room, practically an apartment by itself, with a small kitchen and separate bathroom off to one side. There’s king size bed tucked into one corner, near the bathroom and a sofa in another corner, one wall is mounted with screens featuring readouts from the dozen or so monitoring devices Dean wears, as well as some medical supply cabinets and a wardrobe for extra sheets, blankets and towels against the other wall.

The rest of the space is taken up with the heat or medical equipment of various shapes and dimensions. He understood why Dean never came in here outside of his Heats, it’s really quite daunting looking at all this stuff, needed or not.

It’s only accessible through the garage as it’s an addition to the house, and usually remained locked between heats. Cas’s had it added last year after spending their Heats at the OSP centre had grown increasingly problematic for Dean. Gabe sympathised with them, having to go through such an intimate and vulnerable process under the supervision of the centre staff must have been an ordeal.

But now that the room is built and they can do it at home, allow themselves that small luxury, if not complete privacy.

Gabe’s been in here before, to restock the supplies and to go over the equipment with Cas in preparation. He was familiar with almost all the pieces already, having worked with Omegas for most of the last decade but knew it was helpful to revise some particulars anyway.

The only piece of equipment that was new to Gabe was actually the most important. It took up most of the middle of the room, was designed to Cas’s exacting standards, and like most of Cas’s equipment, custom made.

Gabe supposed you could call it a piece of furniture and it did nominally resemble a bed in its current neutral state. But a bed was actually the least of it’s uses, it was more a frame for Dean rest on, to hold his exhausted body as the Heat raged through him than any sort of bed.

Through a combination of mechanical and electronic components it could be adjusted into a wide variety of shapes and configurations. Dean’s body wasn’t forced to move with the frame, in fact the the slightest resistance halted it entirely, But while it gave support, it also restrained him and once in place held tight through a wide variety of straps and harnesses, Dean could be held open and immobile in almost any position. A small collection of machines sat waiting for Dean in the corner, each could be mounted to the frame in different configurations designed to work Dean through his relentless heat. A technician had been by yesterday to check them over so Gabe didn't need to.

Gabe ignored it for now, choosing instead to focus on the bed, pulling off the covers and back the sheets. By the time they needed it, Dean would be much too far gone to bother with the covers.

Then he checked over the room, setting the air conditioner to cool it slightly and flicked off the lights everywhere except over the bed. Dean didn’t need the reminder of the rest of the room until he was too far gone to care.

Cas and Dean were still curled up on the sofa when Gabe returned. Dean had leant back slightly against Cas, his arms relaxed at his sides and one of Cas’s hand rested high up on his chest, his eyes were shut and he was breathed steadily, too controlled to be anything but forced. He was obviously working his way through one of the breathing exercises Cas had taught him.

“How’re we doing?” Gabe asked, pulled out his tablet to take preliminary notes for Cas.

“Eight hours since initial symptoms. He was slightly feverish at 100.4F, taken ten minutes ago, but that is to be expected. At 6:30pm he managed two cans of nutritional supplement and has since had one glass of water, 300mls. He continues to pass all cognitive test questions and therefore initiation of the intervention phase may be delayed upon reassessment in an hour.”

Gabe typed it all down, noting the time and frequency of Dean’s breaths as well.

“And you?”

“So far so good.” Cas answered with a brittle grin, “Rut hasn’t kicked in yet, thankfully. Mine was never very strong anyway.”

Gabe notes that down too.

“How long do you think?”

“I’m going to try put it off for a several more hours at least,” Dean groaned in frustration and his breathing picked up speed, obviously listening in to the conversation, even if he didn’t feel able to take part.

“Shhh…” Cas comforted, “Keep your breathing steady, that’s it. Just ignore us. Focus on keeping yourself calm.”

Dean's breath slowed back down, forced in and out at a regular pace.

“Good. That’s it,” Cas used his other hand to wipe Dean’s hair back off his forehead, “You’re doing so well.”

Gabe flicked his screen over to the app recording the various vital signs from the sensors placed about Dean’s body, they were elevated but not worryingly so, fairly normal for a pre-heat Omega.

“Looks good here too,” he turned the tablet around and showed Castiel the readouts.

“Might as well try and get a couple of hours sleep. I doubt we’ll manage much but it might be helpful to at least lay down. You should nap too. Sam always tried to fit in as many hours as he could early on,”

“Yeah, sounds good. You need help getting him to your heat room?”

“I can…” Dean finally managed to pull together the strength to interject, “I can still walk!”

“Okay,” Cas huffed out a laugh, “for now, we walk.”

And they did, easing up together and down the corridor, Dean clenched his fists and tried desperately to act normal.

Gabe woke to the sound of raised voices, he winced, Dean’s throat was going to be completely raw by the end of this if he was determined to start at that volume.

He pulled on a shirt but left his feet bare. Cas had insisted he not wear scrubs for this as he wanted to keep it as informal as possible. He felt a little weird without shoes but was willing to go with it.

He knocked on the door and entered, knowing he needed no approval to do his job.

Dean was pacing back and forth at the end of the the bed, rubbing his palms up and down his hips in an obvious self soothing motion. Cas was sitting on the end of it, hands out trying to calm him but no longer touching him at all. The distance between them obviously painful.

“No!” Dean couldn't seem to control the level of his voice, “I can’t wait any longer. Please Cas!”

“I’m sorry.” he sounded a little broken himself, denying Dean this was just as hard on him, “If we start now, your body won’t be able to handle it. We have to put it off as long as possible.”

“But you won’t touch me anymore!”

“I can’t, I’m so sorry.” Cas’s voice was rough, hurting, “You’re too far gone. If I touch you now, I’ll go into rut too soon.”

Dean growled, frustrated and angry.

Gabe stepped into the room and held his hands out, telegraphing his movements as he made his way over to Dean. This was expected as well, he knew what he needed to do.

“Dean, it’s me. We’re going to do this just like we practiced. I’m going to walk over to the bed and I want you to come with me.”

Gabe purposefully didn’t crowd him, but he did make eye contact, hoping to reassure him.

He climbed up on the bed and rested his back against the headboard, legs open and his body language non threatening.

Dean visibly stiffened and bit back a growl but he did comply, crawling down the length of the bed from the base, forcing Cas to skirt backwards lest they collide.

“Good,” Gabe encouraged as Dean arrived at his front and shifted to place his back against him. The tension, tight and visible in every movement he made.

“Okay, tuck your arms around your chest, just like we practiced,” Dean obeyed, gritting his teeth but otherwise staying silent.

Gabe first leveraged his own legs against Dean’s, pressing them together before pulling the weighted blanket over both of them and tucking it tight around their legs. Then he reached around and moved Dean’s arms more securely under his own armpits and eased his head back to rest against his shoulder before he pulled him close, both arms around Dean’s chest, holding him steady and firmly against him.

Gabe could feel the change immediately. Dean's muscles relaxed, his breath became less laboured and his eyes drifted closed. Some sort of miracle of human evolutionary reaction there, he marvelled. Dean stilled, calmed for the moment.

“That’s it. Try to sleep a little. We’ll both be right here.” he pitched his tone low, soothing.

‘Thank you,’ Cas mouthed, not wanting to shatter this moment. Even he looked better, more collected. He lay down on the camp bed by the wall, curled his body purposefully away from them and tried to go back to sleep.

Gabe could help but ache for him, unable to help when Dean needed him most, and thankful for himself, saved this fate by a mere chance of genetics.

He must have dozed a little himself because the next thing he knew Dean was moving in his arms, fighting against the hold he continued to maintain around him.

His eyes were shut and he was feverish, twisting in his arms.

Cas was up almost immediately, rushing to his side.

“Sweatheart? Dean? Open your eyes for me. Can you talk?”

The groan he was met with was anguished and low, Dean didn't even try to respond, instead practically throwing himself at Cas. Gabe's firm hold the only thing stalling the desperate movement, pulling him back down.

“Dean! Dean, breathe for me. Calm down, I'm right here.” Cas guided a little brokenly, while Gabe wrestled back control control of the struggling man.

“I can't… please,” Dean growled, angry and hurting. But Cas holds back, doesn't even approach the bed, though it's obviously difficult.

“Can you wait? Just a little longer?”

The suggestion sets Dean of again, viciously scratching (though they'd cut his fingernails yesterday for just this reason) and tearing at the arms around him.

“No!”

“Ok,” Cas sighs, “Ok. Gabe, you can give us a little space now. I'll need you in a couple of hours so stay close. The cctv is on and I have this,” He holds up his wrist to show the wireless alert bracelet, “I'll press when I need you.”

Gabe knows how hard it is to control Dean alone during his heat, later on they'll strap him down, but right now he has too much fight in him, too much desperation, he needs to get it out, to move. If he's immobilized now, he'll hurt himself fighting it. But, this small amount of privacy to feel a little normal, like Dean's heat isn't going to be the trial they all know it will, Gabe desperately wants to give both of them that.

Cas’s ruts are mild, not unusually so but on the lower end of the spectrum. He actually requires physical contact to initiate it and it will abate within a few hours, far too short a time to satisfy even the barest of Dean's needs. A typical Omega’s heat will eventually sync with their Alpha's, abating once the Rut has passed but as usual Dean is the exception.

Gabe nods, giving Cas time to climb up into the bed, to rest his hands on Dean's chest before he slips away.

He flicks the television in the main house over to the cctv channel but tries not to focus too much on it, instead lets it stay in the corner of his eye while he prepares himself and Cas something to eat. It'll be a few hours till Cas is ready for it so he places his plate in the fridge.

He pulls out one of the novels he'd packed, knowing he wouldn't make much progress with it but figuring it'd at least give him something to think about other than what's going on in the other room.

His mind drifts back to the day he called Cas, knowing full well just what he'd been asking him to take on.

*

_“Hello? Gabe is everything alright?” Cas's voice had sounded tired, ready for bed, it was almost midnight._

_“Not really, remember that artist Dean Winchester?”_

_“You know I do.”_

_“The OSP just brought him into the hospital, Cas he’s… you gotta come. You're the best there is and he needs… he's really fucked up.”_

_There was silence on the other end of the line. For a long moment, nothing until had shakily Cas replied._

_“I'm not sure that's a good idea. You know how I feel about getting emotionally over invested in my patients. It's not healthy for me or them. Gabe, I can't,” his voice was cracked, ragged._

_“Cas, you gotta man. I know how you feel about him, his work. But if you don't step in, he's… they're organising a guardianship contract. He’ll go to someone else.”_

_“Shit! Fuck.” Cas almost never swears, a thump is heard as the receiver is dropped._

_Gabe heard shuffling in the background, papers hastily shoved into a briefcase, the phone obviously forgotten._

_“Cas?” He calls out._

_The phone is picked back up._

_“Email me his file. I'll meet you at the hospital.”_

_“Dr. Novak? Gabe told me you were on your way here, I'm so glad you could come. I know he isn't your patient but I'd really appreciate some expert advice here,” the registrar looks equal parts relieved and exhausted. Gabe understood the feeling._

_“What can you tell me?”_

_“Have you read the file already?”_

_Cas nodded, he'd already been over to see Dean, pausing just outside the door so as not to intrude. Sam had been with him then, holding his hand, miserably silent._

_“That's all we know. He was dumped at our centre in the last stages of an uncontrolled heat. But he'd already gone into shock and toxicology says he'd been drugged, that it was induced. Before he fully lost consciousness, he said he did it to himself. But he couldn't have gotten his hands that drug alone and no one would have prescribed it to him. We're very worried about Post Heat Syndrome, so we're keeping him sedated for now. Working on getting his fluid levels up and flushing out the drugs. The rest you know already.”_

_“Ok, and his hormone levels?”_

_“All over the place. A mess.”_

_“Right, you need to start stabilizing that immediately. Who's here from the OSP?”_

_“Mahni Conelly.”_

_“I want to speak to her, where is she?”_

_“The OSP office,” a designated room just off the Omega ward for OSP staff to have private meetings._

_“Gabe, can you show me the way?”_

_“I don't see that we have any other choice, bar confining him to our facility for the foreseeable future, possibly permanently. This is the best option we have,” Mahni’s tense voice clearly audible as they approached the door._

_“Yes, I know it's drastic. But with Dean’s history and needs... we were too shortsighted, we failed to monitor him closely enough, to do our duty and look what happen. If we let him walk out that door alone again, we may as well sign his death certificate ourselves and you know it.”_

_It's silent for a moment as whoever is on the other end of the phone speaks._

_“At Gabe’s suggestion I've agreed to approach Dr. Novak about it. If he says no, we'll find someone else. It'll be a month before Dean's ready to be released…hopefully we can convince him by then.”_

_“Ok, I'll make a few calls.”_

_She hangs up just as they get to the doorway._

_“Mahni?” Cas didn't bother knocking as the door was open._

_“Castiel? Thank God, please tell me Gabe explained what we need.” Gabe shouldn't have been as surprised as he was that they were on a first name basis. Castiel was familiar with almost all the leadership at the local OSP, even if he didn't deal with the centre himself regularly. Though if Gabe had anything to do with it, that would soon change._

_“Yes, Dean Winchester. Gabe told me on the phone that you're putting him under Guardianship. Can we speak privately?”_

_“Of course.”_

_Gabe excused himself and shut the door._

_It was almost an hour before Castiel and Mahni reappeared. Gabe had retreated to the nurse's station to complete his paperwork but had kept one eye on the OSP office and the other on Room 406, Dean Winchester's room._

_“We’ll have to get Sam’s signature and a judges before we can formally proceed. Ideally, I'd also like Dean to sign the contract, but at this juncture it's not necessary to proceed. When he is healthier we can renegotiate the terms of the contract if needed.”_

_“I need his signature. I can't do this unless he agrees, I couldn't forgive myself otherwise. And with what I'm going to have to do… I need it.”_

_“Are you sure? Are you willing to walk away if he says no?”_

_“Yes, I am,” Cas, the resolute bastard Gabe knows and loves._

_It had taken almost a month to get Dean fully stabilised. Castiel had stayed in the background for most of it, carefully monitoring Dean's progress and guiding his principal physicians as to the best treatment methods._

_Sam had been reluctant at first to sign the guardianship contract. He had desperately wanted to stay with Dean, to move back in with him like last time. But, he was intelligent enough to realize that this time would need to be different, a more drastic intervention would have to be put in place. Something long term and substantial._

_What Dean needed was much more than Sam was capable of providing and he knew it._

_Cas met with Sam many, many times in the weeks prior to the hand over. They discussed his needs, medical and emotional. Sam gave what little insight he was emotionally ready at the time to share, which wasn't much. It was easy to see from the outside that Sam was dealing with his own trauma._

_Cas had his home refurbished and prepared for Dean’s arrival. He met extensively with all of Dean’s current and former physicians and support staff. Put together a treatment and rehabilitation plan that was cross checked against every possible resource. He had Dean put through every conceivable test to ascertain when he was ready to be released._

_Gabe remembered the many hours he'd spent pouring over medical catalogues, desperately looking for those perfect pieces of equipment, before finally resigning himself to having them custom made. Castiel was nothing if not a perfectionist and when it came to Dean, he was even worse._

_He took six months leave of absence from his position (though he still did consultations when necessary) and brought Dean home._

* 

The man Dean is now and who he was then may as well be considered different people.

Castiel brought home a ghost. A sickly, pale and vacant memory of who Gabe had first known, it had been hard for him too see any of the man Gabe had met that night years ago.

The truth was that Gabe had actually met him first, at one of the OSP’s fundraising events. Dean had agreed to auction off one of his works.....

*

_For a moment Gabe had almost mistaken him for a beta, the way he walked, his choice of clothing, his height. Almost. But there was something else about Dean Winchester that screamed Submissive Omega. Outwardly, he was utterly beta, and had Gabe been looking at a photograph he would have been convinced. But, the hesitance to maintain eye contact, the way he held his shoulders, like he was fighting to hold them back, the careful way he listened to others, it all gave him away._

_He was the kind of Omega that was hard to overlook, even though it was obvious that he tried to blend in. He was taller than most Omegas, and had a pretty face that nevertheless remained clearly masculine. He was clean shaven and simply dressed in slacks and a button down shirt._

_He was shy, that much was also obvious by the way he held himself back from the crowd. Nodding and responding politely the the lavish praise his work was receiving without ever really engaging in conversation. Gabe was definitely interested in meeting the Omega that everyone was talking about but mostly he just wanted to rescue him from the, fifth or maybe sixth leery Alpha that was simply not getting the ‘not interested’ message that Dean was clearly telegraphing._

_“Thank god I found you, May needs you to sign that contract of sale ASAP. She's looking pretty frazzled.”_

_Dean just gave him a confused look “May?”_

_“Yeah,” Gabe snuck in a wink, “She asked me to come get you. Sorry, was I interrupting anything important?”_

_“Actually…” the clueless Alpha started up._

_“No, it’s okay. I can come.” Dean caught on quickly._

_“Right, this way.” Gabe gestured to the staff only exit and lead them both out through the staff offices to the back garden._

_Dean took a couple of slow calming breaths once they're out and turned to him curiously._

_“Don't worry. I'm not here to hit on you or whatever. You just looked like you could use a polite escape.”_

_Dean nods, relieved, “I don't have a lot of experience with Alphas. My instructors keep telling me that I need to socialise more, meet new people, ‘welcome the possibility of friendship’,” he's obviously quoting someone._

_“Good advice, wrong crowd. Alphas aren't always like that, but, maybe start with betas and work your way up,” Gabe grinned and held out his hand, “Gabriel. Beta. Not at all interested in getting in your pants. Nice to meet you!”_

_Dean smiled back, steeling himself for a moment to reply._

_“Dean….uh...Omega,” he adds after a hesitation, “nice to meet you too.”_

_“Good! Now that we've been properly acquainted, how about we go back inside and see if we can't raid the dessert table. I heard that the strawberry cheesecake that's to due for!”_

_Gabe smiled to himself at the memory. Dean and he had practically devoured the dessert offerings, with Dean actually sneaking an entire cherry pie for them to share later._

_They'd sat through the auction bored until finally giving up to temptation and sneaking back out to the garden to finish it off._

_Gabe had met a man unsure of himself and still learning to trust, to open up to others, but also someone kind and giving. A man who gave everything to his art and who obviously knew how to love, if the way he spoke about his brother said anything. And he was trying so hard, Gabe could see him struggle to connect with him, to fight of his own insecurities time and time again to meet his eyes and welcome a smile. He hid behind a beta mask but even then, Gabe could tell that Dean desperately wanted to embrace who he really was._

_It was Gabe who had suggested to Castiel that he see Dean’s work, visit his opening the next week. Knowing that they would fit, hoping they might just find each other amid the crowds._

_He'd tried not to be too disappointed when he next day Castiel had described with passion the art and it's creator as ‘brilliant’ and ‘inspired’, but never chose to interact with him. Not then anyway. He had just continued to support his work and appreciate him from afar. Castiel had been convinced that Dean just wasn't ready for an Alpha and had dismissed the idea from his mind._

_And maybe he had been right to leave it alone, Gabe wonders. Maybe, if things hadn't blown up just so spectacularly, they might have gotten together anyway. When Dean was ready. Had drinks. Dated for a while. Taken it slow. Built trust._

_But instead, they had been thrust together cruelty. Castiel’s hand had been forced, his actions necessarily drastic. A union forged through desperation._

_Gabe knew Castiel regretted having to treat Dean so harshly in the early days. To force him back to himself, to bring him back from that cruel edge of apathy and despair. Castiel had known what it would take, accepted the months of work required, the inevitable anger Dean would feel, the resentment. And he had done it knowing full well that there was a high chance that once Dean was strong enough, emotionally and physically ready to renegotiate the contract, he would walk away. He'd chosen to help him anyway, knowing full well that Dean might hate him for it._

*

Gabe flicked his eyes to the TV screen, all was calm right then. Cas had Dean on his back, was positioned over him and working in and out with the minute thrusts that signified they were knotted. Dean had his arms and legs around him, pulling them together, holding him so tightly that it left little room for Cas to move at all. He was looking at Cas though with a tenderness that spoke volumes. He had everything he wanted, right there in his arms.

Gabe couldn't help but grimace in sympathy for how utterly shattered that quiet happiness would be, soon enough. He pulled his eyes away, better to give them what little privacy he could. He turned back to his book, flicking it open at the first page, but listening intently for the alarm.

They all had a long night ahead.

.


	2. Chapter 2

**Interlude Part 2**

The alarm startled Gabe just as he was dozing off, the sharp tone jolting him awake with the harsh kick of adrenaline. 

“Ha?” Gabe grabbed the tablet and quickly flicked it open to the monitoring app, “Shit”

Dean’s blood sugar levels were dangerously low. 

This was to be expected, and had happened before, but never this early on. Hopefully, he could still get Dean to take glucose orally. He really didn’t want to resort to Glucagon or IV dextrose yet. He scratched his head, considering his options. 

Earlier that morning, as part of their usual Heat preparations Cas had inserted an IV catheter in Dean's arm but hadn’t yet hooked him up to anything. In the past, they had discussed the possibility of fitting Dean with something more permanent but felt it was premature at this point. 

He squinted at the CCTV feed, Cas was on top of Dean, all his weight pinning down the younger man. Only the smallest movement of Cas’s hips indicating that they were knotted. But Dean was staring up at nothing, eyes glazed over, unfocused. _SHIT!_

Gabe ran his hands through his hair and grimaced. He’d really rather not interrupt them while they were tied, but there was nothing for it though, he had to or risk worse

Luckily, the medical supplies were kept by the door so it was easy enough to grab a tube of glucose gel from the shelf, the injection kit and an energy bar for Cas. He brightened the lights a bit, signalling his presence. Dean pulled his arms up to cover his eyes, growling low and frustrated. Cas, however, seemed more lucid, pulling himself up to meet Gabe’s eyes calmly, but obviously not up to talking much. 

“Sorry for the interruption folks, but Deano here’s getting a little hypo.” Gabe tried to keep his tone light and casual, holding up the tube for them to see. He pulled the stool over and sat beside the bed, doing his best to appear non-threatening. 

Cas was rarely outwardly aggressive when in rut, instead focusing all his dominant urges towards Dean, generally through manhandling and controlling him physically. Not that Dean minded, he was well aware of their dynamic by now. Although Gabe had never assisted with their Heat before, he had watched the tapes carefully and discussed the matter with Cas. Worked out the best strategies to use while in the Rut phase. 

He uncapped the tube and showed Cas, “He needs to swallow all of it.”

Dean groaned again and shook his head, turning what little he could bodily away from Gabe and the tube. It was a pointless gesture, tied like they were, but Dean had never been one to take t his easy. He has no appetite while in Heat, constantly on the edge of nausea and pain. But they do all they can to keep it at bay. 

Most Omegas experience a healthy appetite while in Heat, happily snacking between knottings. Replenishing energy and replacing the extra calories burned, but Dean’s not like most Omegas. During his heat, even the simplest foods cause waves nausea and pain. He can't help but resist when he knows what's coming. 

Cas’s eyes met his, an unspoken, unhappy agreement passed between them. 

Cas lunged forward, driving himself deep into Dean while at the same time locking his hands on either side of his head. His thumbs slipping into each side of Dean’s mouth as it fell open to gasp at the sudden forceful thrust. He recovered quickly though, bucking up and trying to shake off the hands holding his mouth open, but Gabe was too quick, holding the already open tube over his open mouth and squeezing the contents inside. 

Once done, Cas was just as quick to act, pulling his thumbs back out and locking his hands around Dean's chin and jaw. Gabe pressed his palm over Dean's lips, holding his mouth firmly shut. 

“Swallow,” Cas demanded, his voice raw with emotion. 

Dean bucked up again, but got no traction at all, just managed to impale himself further as his bare feet slid against the soft silk sheets. 

“Swallow,” Cas commanded again, more aggressive than last time. Practically growling it. 

Gabe could see the moment Dean fell back into subspace. His eyes grew wide, his irises blowing out, then he swallowed instinctively. Finally docile in his lover's arms. 

Cas eased back down to nuzzle Dean’s neck and scent him. 

“You should eat,” Gabe reminded Cas sternly, holding out the energy bar and making sure to catch his eye, “and drink too. Or I’ll be back with a tube for you too.”

This time Castiel was the one to grunt in annoyance, but he did reach out for the packet. Crumpling it in his fist as he started to lick the side of Dean’s neck. 

They both ignored Gabe, who took the opportunity to leave before the next round really got started. But not before placing more bottled water on the side table and taking one more look at Dean's vitals. 

"I'll come back in a couple more hours."

***

Six more hours pass and Gabe can see that Castiel is running out of steam, his exhaustion clearly getting the better of him. With normal heats, there would be periods of rest interspersed throughout. But with Dean sleep has to be forced, preferably through restraint, but sedation has been used in the past. 

He’s been in to check on them multiple times, making sure they’re hydrated and healthy. It’s been 12 hours since Cas took Dean into the Heat room and 20 since his Heat first began. They both need to sleep, at least for a little while. 

Gabe entered the room again but this time didn’t raise the lights. Dean was straddling Cas, busy licking his way down Cas’s torso and encouraged by Cas to take his time. 

He opened the cupboard labelled restraints and pulled out the first of the many harnesses they would use, this one designed for sleeping. It was quite different from the setup in their bedroom, instead of securing Dean down to the mattress it locked around him tightly, legs and arms held together, tight and safely immobile. 

Catching Cas’ eyes, Gabe held up the harness and received an exhausted nod in return. He also pulled out the blindfold, pheromone mask, earplugs and a knotting dildo.

Before approaching them, he clicked the pheromone canister into the slot on the side of the mask, activating it momentarily to check the speed of release. The mask covered the lower half of Dean’s face, fitting snugly over his nose, mouth and under his chin. It forced him to breathe in an artificial alpha control pheromone called Aphroxil, used to make him pliable and obedient. It was also completely illegal outside of clinical settings. 

Dean ignored him as he approached, too engrossed in his task to notice as Gabe slipped in behind him. He needed to be quick as the mask needed to be locked tight over his face before any of the pheromones could be released. There was a very real risk of Cas having an aggressive response to the rival scent if any of it escaped before the mask could be secured properly. 

Cas knew this was a possibility but had to use the device anyway, his own pheromones were simply not strong enough for Dean, no ones were. Especially during his heat. 

But Dean hated Aphroxil. He hated his own response to it, fought it every time, fought the shift in his mind, into mindless obedience. 

But he understood why, that even though there were lots of things that he hated that Cas did anyway, it was only because he had to. Because Castiel knew that without it, there was no way he could get through his heats without damaging himself. 

Gabe climbed onto the bed and straddled Castiel’s legs, sliping gently behind Dean, shifting in close as possible to encircle him. He quickly slipped the mask over Dean's face, pulling the straps tight and activating the Aphroxil gas in one smooth motion.

At first scent, Dean bucked angrily away from him, instinctively reaching up to pull the mask off, but Cas held his wrists, harshly yanking them back down to his lap. Fists turning white in the effort. 

“No,” Castiel’s voice harsh, strained with emotion, "leave it on."

But Dean wasn’t listening, throwing his bodyweight against Gabe in an effort to dislodge him and get the mask off. This was terrifying for him, the scent of what he mistook as a rival alpha overwhelming his mind, his will. A body tucked behind him, an alpha he didn't recognise. But Gabe held on tight, one hand around Dean’s torso and the other holding the mask tight against his face, upping the flow of gas even more. 

“Just breathe. That’s it. I know, it’s not the right scent, but that’s ok. It’s just us here. Breathe. That's it,” He rambled slightly holding Dean tight against his chest as the gas did its job.

Dean continued to struggle, but less and less, tears streaming down his cheeks as he sobbed quietly, fear and betrayal in his eyes, even if words were beyond him. 

“I know. I know. It’s not fair,” Gabe soothed, running his hand up and down Dean’s back, “Just relax, that’s right. It’ll all be ok soon,” 

He could tell the gas was working once Dean slumped against him, his fight giving way to exhaustion, to obedience. 

“That’s good sweetheart. Perfect. Now shut your eyes,” Gabe reached across the mattress for the blindfold and pulled it against Dean’s face, “that’s good. We’re going to get you all wrapped up and then you’re going to have a nice little nap.” 

Dean nodded, sweet and obedient. It was disconcerting, seeing him act so unlike himself, unnatural. He didn’t even resist as Gabe checked over the fit of the mask, only giving a token protest as he increased the gas flow rate again slightly.

Gabe lifted the rest of the harness and slipped it over his head. It was a fairly straight forward process to do up the straps, Dean’s arms quickly crossed and immobilized against his own chest. 

Then Gabe gently pushed him forward till he lay resting encircled in Castiel’s arms. His knees were still bent forward underneath him, exposing his passages. Gabe breathed out relieved to see nothing more than warm pink skin, slightly swollen but otherwise healthy. Gently he slid in the dildo, working the pump slowly to inflate the knot. Dean moaned low and needy, but Cas shushed him. The knot would hold off the next wave of need, at least for a few hours. 

“Almost there, just a little bit more,” Gabe worked the base slightly to make sure it was situated just right, tight against the muscle. 

He pumped one more time and disconnected the tube. Dean was panting against Cas’ chest but at the same time, his muscles were unlocking nicely, tension flowing away as he settled onto the knot. 

“Ok, let’s get you on your side,” said Gabe, as much to Cas as Dean, who took the hint, turning both himself and Dean so they were face to face, resting against the pillow. 

He eased Dean’s legs straight, locking the many straps tight down each of his legs till they were completely immobile.

“Ok,” Gabe nodded at Cas. _Now it’s your turn._

“Sleep Dean,” Castiel put every ounce of Alpha control he could into the command.

Thankfully it worked, Dean's movements stilling completely into lax and plaint sleep.

He hooked Dean up for IV nutrition and set the feed for four hours. 

Gabe blackened out the room before he left, hoping for a few hours of rest for himself as well. 

***

All too soon, barely two hours later, the alarm rang out again. Dean’s heart rate was way too high. 

He's panicking. 

Gabe ran into the room, skidding over to the edge of the bed. 

Dean's struggling in Castiel’s arms. Obviously still asleep by the uncoordinated way he moved but he was fighting the straps none the less. Lost in a dream. 

Cas hasn’t loosened his bonds though, instead, he’s got him on his back and was lying over him. Pinning him down with all of his weight.

Gabe can see that it’s working, but not enough. He grabs a second canister of Aphroxil and fits it into the other side of the mask. Setting the flow speed high. Then he prepped a sedative, readying it for a shot, but Cas stopped him, shaking his head. 

“Come here,” he practically growled, frustrated with the still moving body in his arms. 

Gabe knew what he wanted, a second alpha was needed, or at least the illusion of one. Dean’s body was confused as to why he was responding to two alphas but felt only one. 

They’d practised this too. 

Gabe was a beta, so the instinct didn’t come naturally to him but he understood the mechanics. He climbed in beside them on the mattress as Castiel turned them both sideways so Dean’s back was to him. Gabriel slipped his arms around Dean’s middle, as tightly as he could while locking his left leg over Deans. 

It took a while, almost long enough to have Gabe reaching back for the sedative, but eventually, Dean’s breathing evened out again. His body relaxing back into a feverish sleep. 

Cas was already dozing off himself, the exhaustion winning out over protectiveness. Gabe smiled to himself, might as well get a couple of hours himself. It was going to be all hands on deck tomorrow, no more lazing around in the living room from now on. 

****

Gabe drifted in and out of sleep, never quite settling, but managing a couple of hours at least. He had no idea of the time when he heard rather than saw Cas climb out of bed and make his way to the bathroom, the room was still completely dark save for the low glow of the medical monitors mounted about the room. 

Dean, of course, immediately started to shift in his arms, seeking his lost Alpha. But Gabe shushes him, running a hand up and down his back comfortingly. He looks up at the nearest screen above the bed. The gas had run out over an hour ago and Dean was definitely waking up. They probably only had a couple more minutes to strategise before Dean’s next wave of need would have to be addressed.

Cas slid the lights up to half brightness, his face a little less wrecked now that he’d managed a few hours sleep, but still very tired. And completely lucid. Not a trace of his earlier Rut induced need in his eyes. He was well and truly finished and he knew it. 

“That’s you done then?”

Castiel nods, clearly disappointed. 

No matter how many times he’d shared Dean’s heat, he’d never lasted more than twenty hours. This time he’d only managed fifteen. Very much on the lower end of the normal range. 

“He still asleep?” Cas asked

“For now, but we don’t have long. What’s next?”

Cas sighs, “Bathroom, then we’ll have to exhaust him again before he’ll settle. I won’t use more Aphraxil yet. He needs a break"

Gabe nods. It's never easy for omega's to bear the pheromone gas, with normal Omegas they rarely have to use it, but as usual, Dean requires a different approach. They're able to give him a short break from it, but not long, he'll need a lot more of the pheromones to get through the heat, at least now Cas wouldn't react to it so it was safer to use. 

Dean rouses, pulling his arms against the unrelenting straps. Cas eases off the blindfold and the mask, gently kissing his cheek where the edges had pressed deep lines into the tender skin. 

He moans and shakes his head a little as the plastic mouthpiece eases out between his teeth. Cas strokes his hair gently, "I know, sweetheart," he pressed his mouth against Dean's lips, pushing his tongue in to deepen the kiss, helping him chase away the bitter taste of the artificial pheromones and replace them with his own.

Gabe clicks open the quick releases on Dean’s hip and leg harness. The straps fall away, but they leave his arms still immobilised across his chest. The IV is carefully removed as well.

Dean sits up easily, his Heat still pushing back much of the exhaustion, but his eyes are still vacant. He looks lost. They guide him into the bathroom and help him over to the toilet to release his bladder. IV nutrition is convenient, but it does mean a lot of liquid flows through Dean’s body. 

Gabe guides Dean over to the giant shower stalls in the corner and helps him inside. Cas follows them in, carrying a set of waterproof cuffs which he clips around Dean’s wrists before releasing the rest of the harness. 

The minute he is released Dean lunges towards Cas, but Gabe is quicker, manhandling his wrists up and fastening the cuffs to the ceiling-mounted cables fitted for just this purpose.

Dean fights the cuffs, struggling as they rise up into the ceiling, pulling him relentlessly up till just the tip of his feet rest on the ground.

“Settle.” Cas orders, “We need to get you clean first.” 

Dean growls, angrily, swinging his weight against him in a desperate effort for contact. Words might be lost to him right now, but his intent is clear, and his pain. 

Cas steps back, clearly upset but controlled.

“Go shower,” Gabe gestures to the second showerhead mounted at the other side of the shower stall, “I got this.”

Cas does go, the two steps needed to reach the other side, drawing a sad quiet whine out of Dean. 

“Hush,” Gabe runs a hand down Dean’s arm, “He needs to get clean too. He’s right there, not going anywhere. Plus you’ll feel better afterwards I promise.”

Gabe pulls out the handheld showerhead and proceeds to wet Dean down with it. It’s not cold, but cool enough that to Dean it must feel shocking against his feverish skin. He gasps and draws in a ragged breath and stills, consciousness flickering back into his eyes. 

“Fuck!,” Dean practically growls. Gabe winces at how ragged his voice sounds. 

“There you are.” He adjusts the water just a little colder and aims the spray over the back of Dean’s head and neck. A little shock to the system to help his mind along. 

Dean starts forward away from the water, “Jesus that's cold! Fuck You Gabe!”

“Back with us then?” Gabe can’t help a little teasing in his tone.

Dean huffs out a laugh, “Yes, God Dammit Gabe! Stop!”

“You sure?” Gabe playfully flicks the now cold water into Dean’s face and gets an icy glare back.

Cas is watching but not engaging; if he did Dean would too soon sink back down into the heat.

‘Fine, fine,” he flicks the tap up to warm and begins to wash Dean down, “How are you feeling?”

“Needy,” Dean replies a bit nervously, but huffs out a bitter laugh, “but not too bad. Aphraxil sucks balls.”

“Yeah, we’ll try not to use it too much.”

Dean nods, knowing that it’s not up to him and he trusts their judgement. 

“Can we do the test yet?” referring to the hormonal testing strips they used to see if his heat was satisfied. 

“Noy yet. We’re only 25 hours in,” no point in sugarcoating it. 

Dean hangs his head, watching the soap run down the drain. He takes a breath, knowing he's got a long way still to go. 

“Cas?” Dean’s voice was already a bit rough, but at least he was still mostly lucid. 

“I’m right here sweetheart.” 

“Need you.”

“I know you do, Honey, but I’ve finished my rut.” when he can't hold himself back any longer, Cas pulls Dean into his arms from behind, encircling him, “It’s going to be both of us helping you now.” 

Lightning-fast emotions flicker across Dean’s face, disappointment, anger, frustration. But eventually giving way to resolve, he nods. He knows how this goes by now. 

“I don’t think… can you???....” He huffs out, frustrated at once again losing his ability to communicate. The feeling of his alpha around him throwing him quickly back into the heat. 

“It’s ok. We’ve got you.” Cas kisses the corner of Dean’s mouth

Dean huffs and leans in for a kiss, which Cas helpfully provides. 

Gabe lets Cas finish washing Dean, choosing instead to retrieve the next harness setup. Laying it out on the table by the door. 

He changes his slightly damp clothing as well, giving himself a snack from the cupboard. He’s still munching on the muesli bar when Cas leads Dean out. They both look better, clean. Cas has pulled on a pair of pyjama bottoms but Dean is still naked, but he's dry and comfortable. 

Cas leads him over to the table. 

“Do you want a gag?”

Dean thinks it over but shakes his head, obviously reluctant to have his mouth filled again so soon. 

“Ok, lean over,” Cas drags the harness up over his head. This one isn’t nearly as restrictive, although much more functional. It’s very similar to a full-body rock climbing harness as it features a large belt around the waist with straps over the shoulder and around each thigh. It was designed for suspension and flexibility. Additional fittings could be added as needed. It came with simple wrist and ankle cuffs as well which Cas attached. 

They led him over to device in the middle of the room. Gabe had set it up in a long bench-like configuration, with each of the sides of the 'bed' lowered so that just the centre padded panel was raised. It was just wide enough for Dean to straddle comfortably with his legs spread on either side. In fact, Case had measured it exactly wide enough to keep Dean's legs widely spread without causing his hips any discomfort. 

In the middle of the bench, Gabe had removed a section of padded fabric to reveal the first of the machines fitted below. He pressed a button on his tablet and raised the machine up into the empty space. It slightly resembled a saddle, in that Dean was made to straddle its curved surface, but was much more tightly fitted to the pelvis and made of plastic and metal instead of leather. 

Cas and Gabe helped Dean climb up and lower himself onto the device so that his legs were straddling both it and the bench below. Although not technically necessary, as Dean was producing an abundance of his own slick, Cas still carefully slipped his fingers between Dean's legs and slicked him up. Careful to make sure all the surfaces that connected with the device were well and truly coated. It fit tightly between Dean's legs, forcing him to spread them even further before he could fully seat himself down onto its snug frame. 

At the front Cas pulled up another section of the device and slid Dean's cock down into an attached chamber, his balls resting in a silicone sheath behind it. Gabe couldn't help but wince, while the device between Dean's legs would bring him only pleasure, the secondary one in which his dick was currently being fed was designed to limit penile sensation and prevent orgasm if necessary. Medical research had shown that vaginal and clitoral orgasms were the key to ending Omega Heats, and that penile orgasms could actually delay the process. Although normally it didn't matter as Omegas heats were generally able to resolve on their own, anything that prolonged Dean's were to be prevented. They usually tried to make the first 24 hours of his heats as normal as possible, including allowing penile orgasms. But after that, they actively prevented them. It was tough on Dean, but he understood. 

With his penis enclosed in the device and the other component seated fully between his legs. The final plastic panels at the front and back of the device were raised and fastened to the heavy belt around Dean's middle. This way he could shift and move around on the bench a bit without dislodging from the machine, which was fitted inside the bench in such a way that moved with Dean's body, never allowing him to actually pull away from it. They strapped his legs with loose leather clips from the bench to the harness, just tight enough to keep him from moving back and forward very far. He could still shift his hips several inches as he pleased. 

Satisfied that Dean couldn't hurt himself, Gabe pulled up the device's control app on his tablet. 

"Ready?" He asked Cas, preparing to select the first six-hour sequence already preprogrammed in preparation. 

"Just a moment," Cas reached across and took Dean's hand in his and kissed it. "I know it won't be me inside of you, but I'm right here with you. I promise, I'll be right here until it's over."

Dean nods and leans over, hungry for a kiss. Cas straddles the bench in front of him, and kisses back desperately, as if to claim back ownership of Dean's body. Gabe can't imagine how difficult, how powerless it must make Cas feel to have to watch while machines do what his own body can't. He doesn't linger long in the kiss, but not fully pulling away either, instead he rests his hands on either side of Dean's chin, making him focus for a moment longer. 

"You will always be mine. None of this matters. You are perfect. Ok?" He's waiting for a response, and Dean obliges, nodding, a little teary but agreeing, taking the comfort. 

Cas takes each of Dean's wrists and cuffs them to his own thighs. He then pulls Dean against his chest, hugging him tightly to himself. 

"Ok, we're ready."

Gabe pulls one of the stools over and lowers it to the perfect height to watch both the mechanisms of the machine and Dean's reactions. He activates the first program, watching carefully as the first phallus raises up inside the machine through a mechanical opening and directly into Dean's vaginal passage. Dean gasps, but doesn't try to pull away, more shocked than anything else. Once the first is fully seated but not yet moving, the second is raised, the device's inner panels sliding open to allows the second phallus to ease itself into Dean's anal passage. This time Dean does shift, the sensation of both passages being filled somewhat difficult to accommodate. He lets out a shaky, slow breath, preparing himself for what he knows is coming. 

When both are fully seated, the first and then the second begin to move, in and out gently, at first just rocking in a smooth flow to help him get used to the feeling. Over the next six hours, the device will vary it's motions constantly, with phalluses of different sizes swapped out as well as sensations such a heat, cold, vibration and pulses will also be used in varying sequences. He can't imagine the oversensitivity Dean must be experiencing, with all of that machinery, moving into him, working on him, while he's forced to just endure it all. Although Cas and Dean had chosen each of the programs, discussing in advance the necessary size of each phallus, and the duration of each setting. The truth was the Dean would still struggle to cope, he'd swap between begging for more and for it to stop, he'll scream and cry and curse and moan. And until the program is completely finished, he'll be powerless to escape it. And even then, after the first program has run its course, he'll be given nutrition, sleep and then placed on another device and run through a different program. 

Gabe can't yet guess how many different options they'll need to work through, so far this heat is shaping up to be one of the worse ones. He flicks his eyes up to the monitors on the wall, the readouts still showing a ramping up of the heat, it will be a few days yet that's for sure. 


	3. Chapter 3

INTERLUDE PART 3

Dean didn't want to fight the machine, he knew it was helping him. Hell, he'd sat with Cas as he’d programmed the damn thing. They'd talked through the different functions, fittings, speeds, depths and durations, and Cas had explained why he needed to vary the angle, the speed, the way his different muscle groups would be impacted by different positions. Cas had patiently explained each and every cycle that his body would be enduring. He'd agreed to this, helped Cas plan it all out, and yet, even knowing what, how and why; actually experiencing it was a very different thing.

The urge was still there, that horrible need to be filled, to be mated, wasn't even close to being sated. But at the same time he was lucid enough right now to hate the thing below him, inside him. He was angry, it was illogical and yet he couldn't stop resenting that it wasn't Castiel. Just some combination of plastic and metal drilling itself inside him.

They'd asked him twice already if he needed the medication again or would accept something to help him drop into subspace, but he'd refused. Though he knew it would turn this needy agony into mindless lust and pleasure. It would make all this so much easier, but it also sent him away from reality, it would turn his Cas in his mind into some faceless Alpha and he didn't want that.

He leaned forward, heaving against the straps that held him to the bench until he was far enough forward to tuck his chin in under Castiel's neck and breathe. Warm arms encircled him, his lungs dragging in deep ragged breaths, he wanted Cas's scent, Cas's body.

"Dean? Sweetheart, you need to relax your body. I know it's hard, but you have to try," Cas sounded sad, as he brushed his fingers through Dean's hair and down his neck.

For the time being the device was moving slowly, dildos only moderately wide and working their way into him almost lazily, gradually but incredibly, incredibly deep.

His front passage was entered, the device guiding the plastic up further and further inside him until he felt like he was being skewered. It would wait then, inbuilt sensors measuring his internal muscles for give and flexibility, and then it would push up again, tiny, persistent thrusts that just kept going, further and further up inside him till it felt like he could feel it in his chest. This time there was no movement out, it was only programmed to thrust up and up, deeper and deeper with no relief, just a knot when it was done. He knew they were trying to make this easier on his body, limit the damage, right now it felt like cruelty.

He gasped with each tiny thrust, hating the way his breath gave him away, the heaving of his chest as he fought to calm himself. He clenched his fists against his thighs. Hissing out a breath each time it eased upward, with each insistent push, again and again and again, relentlessly patient in a way no alpha could ever stand to be. He couldn't help it, he was angry.

He wanted to touch himself, touch something, reach between his own legs and feel the long cylinder of plastic as it slid deeper and deeper, reach down into the machine and measure with his fingers how much more there was to go, how many inches still waiting patiently to work it's way inside. He wanted to ask but couldn't, unable to speak. And he wanted to touch his belly, to see if he could actually feel the thing each time it pushed up and up. He clenched his teeth and fought the straps again, knowing it was futile.

I just want to touch, he desperately wished he could tell them, I won't try to stop it, I just want to feel it, please! But as always, his mind and body refused to cooperate. Speech was difficult at the best of times, let alone now when it felt like every time he shifted the thing sensed whatever small space it could take and moved to fill it, it forced more and more air out of his body.

Again he tucked his head down into the crook of Cas's neck, deeply inhaling the alpha's scent, and knowing it wouldn't be enough to blunt the panic slowly settling in, he could feel it building lower in his back and running up his spine, the oversensitivity. It was too much, yet not even close to enough, he knew that, even as the plastic pushed deeper and deeper till finally, finally it rested, fully seated inside him.

His whole body screamed to pull away, pull off this thing before... he knew what would happen next, and yet, when he heard the click of the settings changing, the device flipping over and that thing starting to expand, he was startled nonetheless, huffing out a choked off sob.

Cas was there, shushing and wiping away the sweat and tears that ran down his face with a warm, slightly wet cloth. "Hush, it's ok darling. Just relax, breathe along with my breath, let your muscles accept the knot. That's it, good," Cas slid his fingers through Dean's sweat damp hair and gently massaged his scalp.

Dean barred his teeth at him, clearly signalling his displeasure at that progression but didn't fight it, knowing it was futile. It hurt, the knot pushed against all the sore, overworked places inside him. He sobbed, wet tears leaking down already sweat soaked skin. And yet he felt such relief too, his body desperately wanted this, craved it.

"He's too lucid. Hey," Gabe shook his shoulder, "Are you hurting Dean?" Gabe asked, peering down at Dean's increasingly rapid heart rate with concern. Cas slid his hands up Dean's back, feeling the tension building there.

"Soon, he's holding it together, but it won't be for long," Cas's warm, breath brushing past Dean's ear as he spoke.

Dean shivered and shook his head, not wanting the stupid gas that took his alpha's scent away and replaced it with something chemical, something overwhelming and unkind that demanded everything and gave nothing. He hated, hated the mask.

But the knot was hurting so fucking much now, filling him to a point beyond much too much and still going further. Dean knew that it wouldn't ever actually harm him, the entire device designed to push but never actually damage him. But knowing that and feeling the thing grow, inches of pressure pushing outwards inside him, it wasn't fair and he didn't want this. He wanted Cas's knot, not this fucking piece of plastic and metal!

Suddenly he was pissed, anger and resentment surging up and raging out his mouth. He screamed, angry and defiantly, struggling hard against the bench, the harness, even Cas's gentle hands. He screamed and screamed, right in Castiel's fucking face, furious and desperate. He wanted that thing out of him, Right Now!

Cas, as usual responded calmly, barely reacting to the outburst, unsurprised. Instead he gently reached down to secure the straps more firmly, holding him even tighter to the bench and the machine. Then he reached between Dean's legs and felt the swollen, aching passages there, a relieved expression flickering across his eyes.

"You're ok, it's just a lot of sensation, baby. You're doing just fine,"

Dean was still gasping, and gritting his teeth, anger still simmering, he panted and growled.

He could hear Gabe doing something behind him, the sound of plastic being adjusted. Then Cas reached back and took something from him, the fucking mask. Gabe came to stand by his shoulder, both hands resting on either side of his head, holding it still.

"Come on Deano, don't fight it this time buddy," Gabe holds Dean's head still and pushes his thumbs deep into Dean's mouth, forcing it open for the mouthpiece. Dean shakes and shifts to get away, knowing what's coming.

Cas for his part doesn't hesitate, he guides the mouthpiece deep into Dean's throat. They'd swapped it out for a larger size this time, a longer tube that pushed deep down his throat, hoping it might help calm him and noting how he'd almost bitten through the last, smaller one.

Dean gags, his tongue pressed down by the thick plastic tube fitted between his teeth. Then the rest of the mask is fitted over it, locking into the plastic with an audible clicking sound. Then the straps that fit round and over his head are fastened, claustrophobic and secure.

They flick the gas on almost immediately, thick, clogging chemicals force their way into his mouth and up his nose. His lungs, desperate for air pull deeply on the chemicals, making him dizzy with it almost instantly. No, wrong, wrong, wrong!

But already he can feel his limbs loosening, his breath coming in slower and more relaxed, even as his mind desperately battles to stay lucid.

"That's it sweetheart, just breathe and let the gas do its job. That's good, very good," Cas's voice is calming, soothing away the bitter anger. Already he can feel the distress slipping away, pleasure at giving into his alpha, pleasing his alpha taking its place.

He knows he should still be angry, pissed that they did this to him, but he can't make himself feel it anymore. Something needy takes over, something deep inside his mind that desperately wants to please unfurls and blocks out all the pain and rage. Instead he just feels a familiar, aching fullness, pleased that his alpha was buried deep inside him. Warmth at the knowledge that he was right where his alpha wanted him to be.

He felt his muscles relaxing down comfortable and secure on the knot. The pain of it fading back into a lazy sort of ease. He feels himself relax, finally, and can't help moaning a little around the fullness in his mouth. It feels so good, so right to be full again.

"Pass me the blindfold," he hears Cas say, before a sweet darkness overcomes him, "that's perfect, you're being so good for me right now."

Dean huffs out a pleased laugh, he hadn't done anything! But can't help smiling around the tube in his mouth into the crook of Castiel's neck, the compliment sending electric signals singing through his mind and body.

He's so distracted by the pleasure of it that he almost doesn't notice the pressure and push, up into his second passage. The plastic thrusting up deeply at first, what he can only imagine was several inches all at once.

He cries out, caught off guard, but again Cas hushes him.

"It's ok darling, just relax. Let in it. Let it all the way inside you,"

Dean knows that somewhere deep inside him is raging, but all his body wants to do is obey, give over to his alpha everything.

His body already knows how, instinctively relaxing as his alpha commands. And suddenly it's not so bad, the slide feels deep but comfortable and fulfilling, and the want has returned too, the need to be filled up. It feels so good, each minute push, a beautiful expansion of the sensation, pleasure sparking down his spine where only minutes ago he felt only panic and pain.

"There you go," Cas's smiling now, he can hear it in his voice. He's obviously noting the change in Dean already, "that's right, it's meant to feel good like that. You're being so good, love, enjoying it." And Dean is, enjoying it, relishing the stretch and thrust, he pants with it, wanting more and deeper. He groans, grinding his inner lips down on the smooth surface of the machine desperate for more traction, more pressure. Cas takes the hint and slips his fingers between Dean's legs, pressing and massaging his Omega glands, pleasure growing, wave after wave.

Dean can feel the first orgasm hit, like a soundwave at a concert, heavy beats pulsing through his bones and joints. He shakes with it, joyful and overwhelmed, clenching against Castiel's clever fingers. Panting, he rests forehead on Cas's shoulder, oversensitive to the fingers still moving between his legs and the device's still pushing up, filling up his insides.

"First vaginal orgasm since," Cas looks over at the clock, "2pm. He'll need more, I'm going to keep going for another three at least before we give him a break."

Gabe nods and writes some notes in his tablet, "Sixteen seconds duration, not too bad. Ideally he should be able to achieve 25 to 30."

Castiel's fingers are unrelenting in their movements, never giving Dean a chance to calm down, "We'll work on that,". With his other hand he turns Dean's face, running his fingers along his cheeks below the blindfold, "that's alright right isn't it darling? You can give me three more?"

Dean wants to tell him it's impossible, but feels himself nodding obediently instead.

"That's my brilliant, strong Omega. Just relax and let us take care of you,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear what you think! Comments give me life!
> 
> Any kinks you'd like to see explored in more detail?


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